Category Archives: Football

Louisville CardFile: Mississippi State

Football,

How about that?

No, really, I mean How About THAT?

2019 Music City Bowl Final Score: Louisville 38, Mississippi State 28.

And who before it began might have ever really considered a line like that would be written as a capper for this Cardinal pigskin campaign?

Let’s set aside for a moment the debacle that was the ’18 season and how this regular campaign, despite some bracing setbacks, played out in an almost dreamlike fashion.

Let’s just make passing mention how U of L’s ever resilient squad shook off the whipping it took in this year’s finale.

Let’s mention but dismiss how the Cards best player decided not to participate with his former teammates in the bowl game to prepare his talents for the next level.

Let’s just talk about how Scott Satterfield and his staff had this band of Cardinals so ready to win Monday afternoon in Nashville that they simply shrugged off what could have been a debilitating start to dominate their SEC foe. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Mississippi State →

Holidaze Mashup: Hoopaholism & Pigskin Fever Clash

Basketball, Football, Gaming,

Oy, what’s a sports dude to do?

Too many games. On the gridiron. On the hardwood.

Not enough screens. Too many clickers.

It’s the best of times. It’s the most frustrating of times. A Travail of Two Sports.

So, yeah, like last Saturday when the reality is I’ve been sucked into Joey the Vig’s Bowl Pool — at the risk of significant personal financial diminution — which requires I am compelled to cheer on the otherwise out of mind Blazers of UAB +17 1/2 in the New Orleans Bowl.

Does Gene Bartow still coach there? Oh no, wait a minute, it’s son Gene. Oh right, wrong sport.

See what I mean?

On the other hand, the day dawned with several enticing hoops encounters. Rock Chalk Jauyhawk vs. Nova. Dayton vs. Colorado. And, you know, UK vs. THE O*H*I*O State Buckeyes.

You know that early 90s comedy “Death Becomes Her,” where Meryl Streep’s head swivels 360? Welcome to my world.

 * * * * *

Yes I’m here to try to make some sense of what’s going on in my favorite sports. OK, at least to opinionate about what’s happenin’. Continue reading Holidaze Mashup: Hoopaholism & Pigskin Fever Clash →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Joey the Vig Season

Football, Gaming

So, those of you who have been with me awhile know, the ones who have been tagging along since back  when I was an independent wag, with just my own site, through now, when I’m a dual poster at seedyksports.com and cardchronicle.com.

What you know is, this is that lull time of the college football calendar between the scheduled regular season, and bowl games. Which means, as the shtick goes, that I get a visit from some of Joey the Vig’s, uh, “associates.”

Usually ruddy looking dudes with foreign accents in ill fitting sport coats, and a visage that says, “don’t waste our time, or else.”

They come at the behest of the Vig, a gentleman in the “gaming” industry, their purpose to “invite” me to “voluntarily” participate in their employer’s annual College Football Bowl Pool.

Funny how this usually works. They seem to always be able to deftly assure my entry, taking their leave with my participation fee.

I always ask their names, just to be polite, you understand. This year, when one mentioned his last name was Sheeran, my eyebrows raised. It sounded familiar so I began to inquire, “Sheeran, hmmm, are you any relation to Fra . . .”

At which juncture, his partner, put his hand not so gently on my arm, and advised, “If my partner gets one more question about that new movie, he’s gonna really lose it. Mr. Seedy, you really don’t want that.”

I dropped the subject. Glad to lock the door behind them as they left with my entry money.

More about the Vig in a second. Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Joey the Vig Season →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Championship Week

Football, Gaming

Frankly, midday Saturday I was of two minds about the rest of the day’s outcomes.

Michigan and Louisville had been whomped up the side of their heads by arch rivals. UVa finally beat the rival Hokies for the first time since Tommy Jefferson was sneakin’ out back and shtuppin’ that Hemings gal in the shed.

Liberty was winning.

Auburn, my pick in the Iron Bowl, was back and forth then again with the Crimson Tide.

Peerless Prognosticator Seedy K was obviously hoping for a War Eagle W. Because 2-3, while far from exemplary, has a sweeter ring to it than 1-4.

But, to be honest, Literary Seedy K, the wanna be writer aspiring to consequence, he who would hope for eloquence, sort of wished for an Auburn L. Because then I had my oh so clever lede.

“Give me Liberty, or give me Death.”

Sigh.

But, being a man of verbosity if nothing else, I worked it in anyway. Too good to go to waste.

So I stand 46-26, heading into the last battles before Selection Sunday.

This weekend’s Champion Winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Championship Week →

Louisville CardFile: Kentucky

Football, ,

Saturday evening, with the sting of the Cardinals’ loss still in need of some prescriptive to lessen the pain, with the cloud of the defeat at the hands and feet and speed and strength and dominance of Arch Rival still hovering, I got a message from the person I’ve known longer than anybody else in my life.

RVY and I met when when we were 6 or 7 years old, and our older brothers were playing football at Atherton HS. We’d pitch and catch the pigskin and play along the edges of practice, when our dad’s took us. Which was often.

He went to Belknap. I went to Longfellow. But our paths crossed again at Highland Jr. High, and we schooled together through our own years at Atherton, then again when we were law school classmates.

Through the years, we hooped in alleyways, and, as adults, played racquet ball.

As his older brothers were, so was RVY a football player. His father always reminded me of Bear Bryant, his carriage, his demeanor. A man’s man. A football guy.

RVY moved to SEC Country a few years back. Which makes sense.

He always loved the Cats. As I have always loved the Cards. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Kentucky →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Rivalry Week

Football, Gaming

Just as I jump back on the Oregon bandwagon, pull my funky jersey facsimile out of mothballs, dust off my 8×10 of Phil Knight and put fresh incense in the burner of my little homage in the corner, just as I clear the shelves of Whole Foods of the most sublime smoked duck out of respect for the Ducks (and my gustatory obsession), just when I’m pumped that I’ll have an actual rooting interest in the Final Four . . .

. . . the Quack throw in a clunker in the desert, spit out the proverbial bit, fall ingloriously to the Sun Devils. So the kid is SOL.

Because, even more importantly, after correctly predicicating that Michigan, Baylor, Kentucky and Louisville would prevail, placing me thusly on the precipice of my third perfecto weekend of the campaign, I take a baseball bat to the kneecap, my bubble is burst, my train jumps the tracks . . .

. . . oh words fail me.

Bottom line: 4-1 for the weekend. 44-23 for the season.

But, it’s Rivalry Week. Only the Big Ones to weigh in on.

Here come the winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Rivalry Week →

Louisville CardFile: Syracuse

Football,

Let’s set aside for a moment all the disaffection, defections, lack of depth, imperfections and other impediments that faced this 2019 edition of the Louisville Football Cardinals coming into the season. Those issues that were discussed and rehashed ad nauseam, those opinions and realities that informed the abundance of dire projections for any success.

They are but distant memories, given the reality that the consistently resilient Cardinals have won 7 games of the 11 they have contested, have finished in 2d place in the Atlantic Division of the ACC behind only mighty Clemson, and are but one potential victory over Arch Rival to match the winning total in the last year when that squad was led by the most transcendent player in all of contemporary football, Lamar Jackson.

Let’s simply consider what the Cards overcame Saturday in the type of grisly, misty, chilling weather, when one might have been caused to muse, Did the ACC at the last minute move the battle against Syracuse to London, when U of L conquered the visiting Orange, 56-34. Continue reading Louisville CardFile: Syracuse →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XIII

Football, Gaming

Well, we’re rounding into CFP form around here. (To use the rarely used around here royal “we.”)

Not only did my Louisville Cardinals grab the brass ring and secure that coveted station we like to call “bowl eligible,” but I pretty accurately surveyed Week XII’s college pigskin landscape in advance.

Auburn had too little too late, and fell to Georgia. Which means Gus Malzahn might have slipped over to Fayetteville for a chat with some Razorback movers and shakers. If the Plainsmen/ War Damn Eagles fall to a Tua-less Crimson Tide, said coach might be movin’ on.

But I digress.

As for the rest of my picks, well, they were spot on, thank you very much. Thanks to Penn State hangin’ on against a much better than usual Hoosier contingent, UK’s blessing that Vandy is woeful bunch, the Boomer Sooners’ Jalen-led 2d half comeback for the proverbial ages, and, best of all, U of L’s strong after halftime smackdown of the Wolfpack.

Sooooooo, 4-1 for weekend ups the campaign count to 40-22.

Snack on that, ye negativitators.

Let’s hope that said predictionary skill holds up for a lucky Week XIII.

This winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week XIII →

Louisville CardFile: North Carolina State

Football,

The set up was too perfect — Edward Bulwer-Lytton style — and the denouement too off the charts sublime.

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents — except at occasional interludes when it was checked by a violent gust of wind . . .

The improbably resourceful, surprisingly successful, fitfully resurgent University of Louisville Cardinals took the field at Carter-Finley Stadium hoping to fulfill a goal that was, let’s be frank, a pipe dream just months ago.

Bowl eligibility.

Other events of the day made a victory Saturday night in the Tobacco Road bluster even more imperative. The Cardinals final two opponents, the other impediments between them and six victories, appeared more formidable than when the day began.

Syracuse 49, Duke 6. Kentucky 38, Vanderbilt  14.

Take care of biz now, lessen the pressure of the final battles to come.

So, how do the Cardinals start?

Well, as if they want to make sure everybody watching understands, “Hey we’re the same guys who were here last year.” Continue reading Louisville CardFile: North Carolina State →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week

Football

Looking back at last week’s picks, as is my wont before providing this coming slate’s victors, I must admit, the locals let me down.

Much to my chagrin, the Louisville Cardinals threw in a clunker at Miami.

And the Wildcats, who let me down only because I picked them to prevail which would have increased my winning percentage, did what UK usually has done in my lifetime when battling Tennessee. They tumbled down Rocky Top.

Stupid me for thinking Kentucky would beat even this season’s mediocre Volunteers. Must have been having one of those LSD flashbacks they warned us about back in the day.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut . . .

. . . Underdog Minnesota vanquished Pennsylvania State to remain undefeated in nine.

. . . Underdog LSU glossed up its already snazzy resumé with a W in Tuscaloosa.

. . . Mediocre Texas survived K State, which had recently toppled Boomer Sooner.

As predicticated right here.

3-2 for the weekend, pushed Seedy the Swami to 36-21 on the campaign.

As the season rounds the turn and heads for the home stretch, here come five Week XII winners:

Indiana @ Pennsylvania State. Part of the well worn shtick here are my annual references about how Hoosier fans always care more about hoops, and how they’re not paying attention to the perennially also running IU football squad. And I’ll normally pick whomever the Sunny Siders are contesting, and usually be correct. Well, something’s happened on the way to tipoff at Assembly Hall. More Crimson & Cream fans are taking note of what’s going down on the field turf at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers are 7-2, 4-2 in the B10, albeit not against the scariest of schedules, but way mo’ betta’ than their spate of losing records through the last, oh, decade or so. The Nittany Lions hopes for the Final Four were derailed last weekend in Minneapolis. How will they respond to the disappointment? Has Indiana improved enough to prevail in State College? Not really. But, hey, Archie’s ballers get Troy on Saturday.

Oklahoma @ Baylor. Flavor of the Month Matt Rhule’s Bears are one of the real how they doin’ that? stories of the season. They seem to always fall behind, and, so far, have always come back to snatch another scalp on the totem pole of victory. 9-0 for the season. 6-0 in the B12. It took three OTs to best the middlin’ Horned Frogs, but best them they did. Their Houdini act notwithstanding, doubters remain. Are they good? Or just lucky? Or, I suppose, both? We should, or may find out Saturday when they host the Sooners. Who escaped Iowa State, after the upend to Kansas State. I think the Green might be better than folks believe, worthy of their unblemished record. But feel the visitors shall conquer.

Georgia @ Auburn. Well, look who discovered the mother lode in the latest Selection Committee bracketology. The Georgia Bulldogs, who, that L between the hedges to the Gamecocks notwithstanding, are currently IN. In the fourth spot. Hmmmmmm. But I gotta ask, how many more boneheaded game decisions does Kirby Smart have circulating through the synapses of that brain of his? He sure has a penchant to find and use one at the most inopportune times. Meanwhile Auburn’s two Ls were both competitive Top 10 defeats, one in Gainesville, the other in Baton Rouge. Plus they’ve got the opening weekend W over the Quack. Toomer’s Corner, prepare thyself to be toilet papered.

Kentucky @ Vanderbilt. I hate having to pick this game. It’s only a matter of journalistic ethics — I always consider UK and U of L when they are playing — that prevents me from going to Minnesota @ Iowa or Tulane @ Temple. Hate it. Because the QB-bereft Cats aren’t very good. And Vandy sucks. But the ‘Dores did beat Top 25 Mizzou. Go figure. Last weekend, while the Cats were getting beat yet again by Rocky Top, Vandy laid down at Florida, zed to 56. Because the 4-5 Wildcats want to bowl, and don’t want it to depend on the season closer against arch rival, they have more on the line this weekend. Though I may rue the moment I type this: Big Blue.

Louisville @ North Carolina State. Respected Dave Doren’s Wolfpack had fashioned two 9-4 campaigns in a row coming into this season, when they were expected to be solid again, per guru Phil Steele. But injuries and whatever else might be in play have disrupted all that hope. Their only W in the ACC was by six points over hapless Syracuse, and their four Ls have been by 18, 21, 24 and 25. Louisville is all of a sudden a conundrum. Obviously considerably better under the new regime than last season, but ever wobbly. The nightmarish beatdown they suffered at Miami was like deja vu all over again. Can the Cards revive? Will they do the tighten up on Tobacco Road? In Coach Satt I believe. By dawn on Sunday, Fun is Bowling in this post season will be real for the Cards.

— Seedy K